Unforeseen Consequences
by Milennial
Summary: It can be difficult to see the full weight of a decision. And yet the repercussions are always there, shaping the world in ways that few can predict. Whether the result will be for good or bad is another matter entirely...


**Pointless Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor anything else that might be contained in the story.**

 **Special thanks go to Noodlehammer for all his help and input.**

 **For a proper AN and any important notices, see the end of the chapter.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There are events that can change a person´s fate within an instant, be it for better or worse. And then there are those that can make or break empires, such as the attack of the Nine Tailed Fox on Konoha.

Unable to defeat it and seemingly out of options, the fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato opted to contain the beast inside of his newborn son, using a forbidden sealing technique that supposedly invoked death itself.

Yet as the man started the technique, a desperate plea reached his ear midway through. His wife Kushina, despite being wounded and exhausted beyond measure, managed to get to him in time to see what he was about to do and needless to say, she was less than thrilled with the idea.

She knew what the life of a demon container was like, its hardships, constant struggle and most of all, being a major target for anyone on the opposite side when conflict inevitably returned to their militaristic world. With all that in mind, hearing that their son would have to bear such a heavy burned did not sit right with her at all. If someone had to be a sacrificial lamb, better for her to pay the price than their only child.

The sincerity and conviction of her request moved the man just as he was about to finish the technique in question, before he caved in and agreed. If nothing else, he wanted the best for his child as well, even if his way of achieving said goal was originally different. Coincidentally, he was a complete sucker for his wife and even being on his last legs could not change that, though the history books would naturally omit any such fact.

Regardless of the reason behind it, he agreed and made her the vessel instead, dying shortly after with a smile on his face, confident that this way, someone would be there for the boy no matter what happened to him. And that much has certainly happened, since the added healing factor that came with being a container helped her body overcome the worst of her condition and she lived past the night.

What nobody realized at the time however was one crucial detail. The redheaded woman was not the only one directly touched by death by the time the sealing finished. Naruto was as well, courtesy of being the initial target of the dangerous technique. And unlike his mother, he did not receive a huge influx of demonic energy to block out any foreign influence brought about by the technique.

Although no one knew it at the time, this one seemingly insignificant fact would have major repercussions in the future and the world would never be the same because of it. As for Kushina herself, this would not be the first time the woman would alter the course of events.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been eight years since that fateful night. In spite of adversity, the village rebuilt and moved forward. Alliances were made and broken as time went by, along with the introduction of a new clan into the political arena, the Uzumaki clan.

Technically speaking they were always a part of Konoha, being one of its founding pillars and all, but until recently that little fact was always conveniently forgotten by the majority of the population. Well no more, the red-headed matriarch saw to that.

It took her quite some time to pave the way for her clan to be publicly recognized again and the political games of the village were an endless source of headaches for the woman, but if one were to ask her, it was all worth it. Her small family would not have to live in poverty and she would have something to occupy her time when her son would inevitably get sent out of the village on missions, even if that was hopefully still quite far in the future.

Of course, there were times where she could get absolutely livid from dealing with the political bullshit, such as right now. If only some people would just grow a pair already.

"Unacceptable. Tell me you are joking, Hiashi" glared the matriarch of the recently reinstated Uzumaki clan at her fellow clan head. The normally stoic and proud Hyuuga however refused to meet her gaze, fists clenched in hopeless anger.

"It is the only way. If we do not comply with their demands, then a war could break out and who knows how many will die. This is the only option left."

To add context to the situation, a few nights ago an ambassador from Kumo tried to kidnap a child from the Hyuuga main family, the older daughter of Hiashi himself in fact. Fortunately the man did not get far and was killed during the pursuit by her father, but now his home village was threatening Konoha with war unless a tribute was paid, namely the life of the killer.

Now Hiashi had a brother in the branch family who volunteered to substitute, but either way the fact remained that someone would have to be sacrificed to avert war. Kushina however, having experienced the endless greed of the cloud village herself as a child, refused to give them the satisfaction. To her, sacrificing anyone to get dissected just to appease a bunch of northern barbarians was absurd and the fact her old friend was even considering it was like a smack to the face.

"So you would sacrifice your own brother just because you defended your home and family from an enemy?!"

"Do you honestly think I want to do this?! But what other choice is there? If it really comes down to war, we might lose much more than this."

"Hiashi is right Kushina, calm yourself. We cannot afford another conflict so soon after the last war" added the Sandaime Hokage, his face grim but resigned to the inevitable.

"Like hell he is! Who was it that came out victorious from that conflict in the first place? Oh that´s right, we did. But apparently everyone here forgot that little fact. Besides, you are throwing away your only brother over a possibility at best. What happens if that won´t be enough for them? What if they ask for one of your daughters next? Would you be willing to throw them away too?"

"Uzumaki Kushina, that is enough! We have already agreed to accept the deal, know your place" chided Koharu Utatane, the elderly advisor to the Hokage.

"We have not agreed to anything yet you old hag; so do not presume otherwise" shouted the red-head back, gesturing to the rest of the gathered clan leaders.

"So what would you propose, Kushina? If you are so sure of our position, what is your proposal" asked Hiashi in a slightly wavering tone. Normally he would rather be caught dead than appear as anything less than perfect, but considering the crisis at hand and the very real possibility of losing someone dear to him, he was willing to throw his pride aside for once and ask another for help.

"Stop being such a damn coward! We are known as the strongest village on the continent precisely because everyone of us here is willing to stand together and the day we sacrifice one of our own just because someone else strong-armed us into doing so will be the day we lose that precious advantage."

Turning to the gathered clan leaders, the Uzumaki matriarch continued.

"I ask each and every one of you, would you be willing to sacrifice your children, siblings or anyone else dear to you just because it was demanded of you?"

"Hell no, if anyone even suggested that I would tear them apart myself" growled the Inuzuka Tsume, the feral woman being a mother as well. The rest of the leaders were not as vocal or blunt with their answers, but most of their answers were of a similar sort. Nodding in gratitude for their support, Kushina turned back to her opposition.

"We did nothing wrong. An enemy came to our home with false pretenses of peace and friendship, only to spit in our face and try to kidnap one of us. His death was a natural conclusion of that treachery. In fact, if anything, they owe our village for trying to pull something like this over us. So I say we turn this so called demand of their upside down and shove it up their collective asses. Either we stand proud or we might as well drop dead. So I ask all of you here, which will we choose? Unity or submission? Think carefully before you make the decision, because next time, you might not have the luxury of choosing at all."

Despite her vulgarity, her words seemed to breathe new life to those who listened to her voice, captivated by her charisma. Where there was uncertainty and resignation before, there was now only confidence and determination.

"And if you were wrong and the worst case scenario was to occur, would you be willing to lay down your life in defense of those beliefs" insisted Hiashi, staring down his old classmate with a mixture of hope and inquisitive inspection.

It was hard to imagine this was once the kid who beat up bullies in the academy. And yet here she was, trying to save someone´s family for no tangible gain of her own. Of course the more cynical part of him would point to the fact that his entire clan would owe the woman big time if she ended up reversing the original situation. But for once, that part was silenced by the hope that just maybe, things were not lost just yet.

"What a stupid question. I have stood behind what I believe in all my life and I don´t see that changing now or ever."

"Then I will hold you to that."

Coughing into his hand to get the discussion back on track, the Sandaime nonetheless had to admit he was honestly impressed by the sudden turnaround. Even if he might not agree with her views, as experience taught him the possibility of another armed conflict was never far away, he could not help but admire the passion the woman put into anything she deemed worthy of her time and the way she managed to sway the opinion of her fellow clan heads was worthy of praise.

 _´Stubborn like mules, every last one of them. But maybe that is the kind of thinking we need right now.´_

The question now was how to proceed. As the Hokage, he had the supreme authority and the final decision was up to him, but considering the mood in the room, anyone could see that agreeing to go along with the original proposal would severely undermine his position. After all that was the whole point of inviting the clan leaders into discussion, to give them at least a measure of participation on important decisions.

It wasn´t so much that he neededtheir input per say, but unlike other leaders, the aged ninja valued the thoughts and stances of his subordinates. And if there was one thing the Uzumaki matriarch had absolutely right, it was that only through unity they could hope to create a prosperous future not just for themselves, but for their children as well. That was why he was going to let the others decide the end result.

"Very well then, let us vote how to proceed. All in favor of agreeing to the demand raise your hands."

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the overwhelming majority of those gathered kept still, with only a select few still showing their support of the idea.

"All in favor of refusing it?"

All remaining hands flew up in perfect synchronization, like the minds of everyone present were for the briefest of moments tuned to the same tone, all reacting simultaneously. Now there was no question what the decisions was going to be.

"Seems that we have a clear answer. Konohagakure no Sato does not recognize the claim laid by Kumogakure. Meeting adjourned."

And just like that, with but a single speech, history changed yet again.

Yet as Kushina stood up to leave the council chambers, numerous eyes watched her every step. Her rapid rise in influence and power over the past years had been nothing short of amazing and not all who witnessed it were happy about it. Whilst many of those present seemed to hold at least some measure of respect for her, there were those that held envy, suspicion or even resentment.

And in a world such as theirs, that was enough to invite misfortune.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As it so happened, disaster did not wait long to occur. It occurred only a few months later after the fateful meeting when Kushina was walking her son home from visiting the annual autumn festival. Lots of pretty lanterns, vendors from all over the continent, fireworks in the sky, both mother and son enjoyed the chance to just relax and enjoy themselves.

Yet as night progressed and they made their way back home, the woman could not help but think that something was out of place.

Whilst it was true that they lived on the outskirts of Konoha and away from the bigger residential areas, something about the situation did not feel right nevertheless. Perhaps it was mere paranoia on her part, but for whatever reason she could not shake off the feeling of being watched. Given how most people were still in the midst of celebrations and the police force was busy keeping order among the ongoing festivities, what better times for spies or even assassins to lurk about?

Before her conscious mind even made the choice her body tensed in preparation for a possible attack. Just in time as well, as a veritable hail of kunai knives came flying at them from several different directions before being deflected by a golden chain that emerged from her palm.

Seeing their initial attempt failed, several figures emerged from the nearby shadows, cloaks and plain white masks obscuring their features. But whilst their identity was unknown, the same could not be said about their intent.

 _´The only question is whether they are after me, Naruto or even both of us´_ thought Kushina, a plan already forming in her head. She had no worries for her life, but her usual way of fighting was sure to catch Naruto in the crossfire and that was one thing she absolutely could not allow to happen.

Putting her free hand on the boy´s shoulder to get his attention, Kushina kept her gaze locked onto the strangers, knowing that even the slightest distraction could prove fatal.

"Sweetie, listen to me. You run to the Hokage and tell him I need help over here. I will keep them busy."

"Mom?"

"No matter what happens, don´t turn back and keep going. Are we clear?!"

"I..."

"Good. Now run!"

From his expression the blond clearly wanted to protest, to stay and fight at her side, but thankfully she raised him well enough not to get his priorities confused under stress. Considering situations like this were bound to come up sooner or later, it was pretty much a necessity.

As the boy raced towards the Hokage tower looming in the distance, one of the assassins tried jumping after him, only to find himself impaled through the heart as the chain shot forward with the speed of an attacking serpent and pierced clean through his rib cage in the process.

"Where do you think you´re going? You wanted a fight, you got it! So bring it on" shouted Kushina as a good dozen of similar chains extended from her back and quickly formed a circular cage around her and the remaining attackers, a field of blue chakra between the individual chains ensuring they were effectively shut in together. The cloaked men did not need to be told, already striking with their previously concealed weapons, only to be met blow for blow.

Very soon it became clear however that both sides were locked in a stalemate. Every time the masked assassins tried to get close the chains would stop them from doing so, but it went both ways. The assassins, although barred from using elemental ninjutsu thanks to the small enclosed space, were obviously trained well. Just when she was about to kill one of them, his allies were quick to close in and fend her off. At full strength such interference would not be an issue, but it had been almost a decade since the woman got into a serious fight and her skills were not as sharp as they used to be.

 _´I don´t have time to waste here. Guess I will have to go all out´_ groaned the redhead, a shroud of demonic red energy enveloping her form. Along with it came a rush of power coursing through her veins and with it, an ever increasing urge to destroy all in her way until nothing but red stains on the ground and blackened ruins as far as the eye could see remained.

The burning rage the Kyuubi held towards mankind ran as strong as ever, hence why she preferred not to use its power unless really necessary. Even using a relatively small amount of it required enormous willpower to contain, lest it spiral out of control and turn her into a frenzied berserker.

If the hooded figures were surprised at the development they certainly did not show it. What probably did get them to question their choice of occupation however came a second later, when the woman in a burst of inhuman speed vanished and immediately appeared among them. Faster than they could react, crimson claws tore through two of them, bifurcating them like flesh and bones were naught but paper.

The final body count would no doubt be higher than that if Kushina had anything to say about it. Not giving them time to get their bearing together and reorganize, she launched herself against another one, fully intending to grant him the same end….only for the shroud-encased fist to be stopped by a newcomer she could swear wasn´t there a second ago.

The first thing she immediately noticed was the rather strange skintight exoskeleton covering his form. Formed primarily of fabric with interconnected metal plates covering the torso, forearms and thighs, it seemed like someone turned a bodysuit into armor.

And yet, despite seemingly being nothing but just another enemy in her way, her instincts were going haywire. Though she had no idea what was to be blamed for it, her very being felt repulsed by the figure on an instinctual level. There was also the disturbing question of how the stranger got inside of her barrier, for he was definitively not inside of it when she activated her technique.

What followed was a brief but frantic battle between the two until one of her demonically enhanced swipes managed to hit the helmet, with a part of it outright torn off by the force. That was when Kushina got a first real look at the face beneath it, now sporting a huge gash across the right side of the skull. The bloodlust and will to fight were immediately swept away beneath a wave of shock, confusion and terror.

"You…"

A few moments later the glowing barrier collapsed into nothing and the oppressing feeling of the demonic chakra along with it.

When the Shinobi forces finally reached the site of the battle, all they found were dried up splotches of blood, several scorch marks and lingering traces of demonic power. There were no signs of either Kushina or her attackers anywhere to be found.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unfortunately for her, there was one simple fact that Kushina had no way of knowing or even being capable of influencing in any way had she been aware of it: Namely there being a small second team of assassins stationed nearby, just in case one of their quarry got away. There was no hesitation in their movements, no doubts or uncertainty, only the task given to them and the life that was about to be extinguished.

For Naruto, all he could register was a blur of movement from the corner of his eye and then a sharp pain in his chest. All he could see was a tanto being yanked out of his chest in one swift pull and the blank white mask with a pair of slits staring down at him, now sullied by a smear of blood. His blood, realized the boy as he fell to the ground, feeling his grip on consciousness beginning to slip as the rapid drop of blood pressure to the brain kicked in.

The mask vanished from sight, its owner disappearing into the shadows like a wraith. There was no need to stay behind and risk getting caught in the act, for no help would arrive in time to deal with the fatal wound. The demise of Uzumaki Naruto was assured, as inevitable as the sun rising up in the sky on the next day.

Or so they thought.

Feeling lightheaded and cold as laid there on the ground, the boy desperately tried to stave off the inevitable, vision swimming and the world seemingly fading away into nothingness. That was when he heard a voice calling out to him, like a light piercing through the all-encompassing darkness. As his eyes tried to focus, he could barely make out a shadowy silhouette leaning above him. Although the details were blurry, one thing that unmistakably caught his attention was a pair of red eyes staring down at him, surrounded by a curtain of long black hair.

"You are dying, Uzumaki Naruto."

The voice was feminine, smooth and strangely comforting, even in his predicament. By the dark encroaching on his vision and the coldness spreading through his body, Naruto knew it was true. And there was so much he wanted to do!

"I can heal you, restore your frail shell. All you need to do is promise to carry out one task for me in the future, just one task..."

He didn´t know who this lady was, why was she here or what he might have to do for her in the future, but he did know that he desperately wanted to live. Although a bloody gurgle was the only response he could manage, the woman in the dark seemed to understand. A gloved hand caressed his cheek as the red eyes neared ever so closer to his face, almost like their owner had all the time in the world.

"A wise decision. Rest now, everything else comes later."

The last thing Naruto saw before his grip on reality finally gave out was a mouth filled with sharp teeth opening above him, followed by a strange feeling of something cold touching his lips and a sense of warmth rushing throughout his whole body.

When the police force discovered him shortly after, all were baffled to see his clothes bloody, yet not a single wound anywhere to be found. It seemed that the night would have one less victim to show for itself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The outrage that followed this incident was almost palpable in the air and for a very good reason. A clan leader either killed or kidnapped right within Konoha´s walls and unlike the incident from several months ago, this time there was no obvious culprit to point fingers at. Even with the testimony of a direct witness they had little to go on.

No bodies were present at the scene when the police force arrived and the lingering remnants of the demonic chakra drove the dogs crazy so tracking by scent was useless. Perhaps worst of all, there were no signs of the attackers making an escape with their prey, something that should have been impossible but happened anyway. It was as if they vanished into thin air, leaving the investigators baffled and everyone else fearful of the fact that there was someone out there actually capable of such a feat.

It was obvious that someone had targeted the clan specifically, the only question was who. Some were quick to look towards Kiri or Iwa as the obvious culprits, since they had both the means and motivation to pull off such a stunt. They did destroy the clan´s original village and all but exterminated its members after all.

Others suspected an unknown third party to be responsible, since infiltrating the village and then remaining unseen until the moment of action was no small task. The ambassador from Kumo obviously had no difficulty getting inside, but the same could hardly be said about whoever was responsible for the disappearance.

In the end, the investigation turned up nothing and the incident was swiftly covered up. After all, Konoha had a reputation to maintain and any sign of obvious weakness like that might attract unwanted attention of their predatory peers. Thankfully Kushina´s status as a demon container was well hidden, so it wasn´t as difficult as it might have been otherwise. Officially the woman was declared as dead after succumbing to an unexpected illness, with her son set up to inherit her position after being considered an adult, which meant becoming a genin or turning fifteen, whichever came first.

"What a mess," sighed the elderly Sandaime before turning to the head doctor standing beside him. To say that recent events were stressful would be an understatement and for someone who should have been in retirement years ago even more so. But they all had to do their part for the village and that included everyone, the currently sleeping child on the bed before him included.

"What is his condition doctor?"

"Surprisingly stable all things considered. When they brought him in looking like he went through a slaughterhouse we feared the worst, but even after a thorough check the staff found nothing adversely affecting his body in any way. No damage from of internal or external wounds, yet the blood on his clothes was confirmed to belong to Uzumaki-san alone. If I may be frank, we are at a loss on that front. Other than that, originally there was a bit of an elevated heart rate, but that can be attributed to the shock of whatever the boy went through. Physically speaking there is nothing wrong with him per say, but I´d still like to keep him here for observation for a few more days, just to stay on the safe side."

"Very well. Inform me once he wakes up or if there is a change in his condition."

"Of course sir. Have a good night."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, the unconscious form of Uzumaki Kushina lay confined to a steel bed, a layer of seal-covered chains locking her limbs and neck in place. A layer of bandages covered her torso, concealing the rapidly closing wounds underneath. Although her skin was pale and breathing was shallow, she would live. For death was the one luxury that her new hosts would never grant her.

A trio of observers looked on with dispassionate interest from behind a nearby glass window, safe from any retaliation the woman might muster even if she were woke and free to move.

"Was this truly wise? If we even get suspected of being connected to this our lives are forfeit."

"There is no need for concern. Thanks to our special guest there is no trail to follow and her own reckless use of the Kyuubi´s chakra will only make the police force hurry in their investigation. They all know that this sort of information can never reach public ears. And besides, it is far too late to have second thoughts now."

"And what about the boy? Weren´t our men supposed to take care of him? We should eliminate him as soon as possible."

"His miraculous survival is troubling indeed, but in the long term it changes little. He knows nothing of consequence to be a threat and it would be far too risky to make an attempt so soon after this last operation. No, better to leave him be for the time being. Who knows, perhaps with the correct motivation he might yet prove useful eventually."

"Considering his clan´s history it is far more likely that he will go berserk and end up being put down like a wild animal. Why did Konoha feel the need to ally itself with those abominations I have no idea."

The third person who remained silent finally spoke up, voice betraying nothing but a calm assurance.

"Should it come down to that then he will meet his end just like the rest of them. A mistake was made, but it will not happen again. For now we have more pressing concerns at hand. As soon as her condition improves, have her moved to the preparation phase. Given her impressive regeneration powers it is imperative that we begin as soon as possible."

"I will oversee the arrangements."

None of the trio noticed the red eyes staring at them from a nearby shadow, nor the amused smirk belonging to their owner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The days that followed were not kind to Naruto, as he awoke to find everything he knew and understood as normal flipped on its head. His mother was gone and thanks to the way the politics were handled in the village, he would even have to leave his home too.

The way the Sandaime put it in his usual roundabout way, he was simply too young to be left to his own devices, especially with a mansion that might contain dangerous techniques and the rather large sum of money left behind from both parents.

Adoption from one of the clans was on the table, but that only created tensions between all parties involved. Although the aged Kage did not go into details, even the blond could make a rough guess of what followed. After all, he was trained to be a future clan head, so even if some of the subtleties might be lost on him, he wasn´t completely blind either. Quite a few families probably expressed the desire to induct him into their respective families, some out of sympathy or desire to strengthen their bloodline, others were interested in the potential profits that might come with merging with an old clan. Ninja or not, real estate was a hot selling point regardless of one´s background.

Given the political rivalry among the clans, it was obvious that any choice would be met with massive protests from the others. Thus the aged Hokage intervened and set him up to live on his own, giving him a small but comfortable flat in one of the building blocks occupied by fellow Shinobi. That way, none could complain and it also provided at least some measure of protection for the child until he came of age. And it was all for his safety as the Sandaime put it, because of course it was.

To the eight year old Naruto, the entire ordeal was an incredibly bitter pill to swallow. He could deal with having to move out with just a few essentials, but that wasn´t what was eating him. Just how could the village abandon mother so quickly? His mother was snatched by a bunch of thieves and instead of continuing to search for her, the village just gave up on her like that just so they would not lose face?! And those people in the white masks, they were still out there somewhere. Just who were they?

Above all however, the boy could not help but feel powerless, as all he could have done was to get out of the way and try to get others to help. And whilst deep down he knew that there wasn´t anything else he might have done other than perhaps be a hindrance if he stayed behind, that did little to keep the frustration at bay. But he was not going to let things end like this, certainly not by a long shot.

That was when he also remembered his mysterious savior, without whom he would no doubt be dead and buried, just like his father. Just who was that? The unknown voice did sound distinctly feminine, but that did not help any. Normally black hair and red eyes meant an Uchiha, but he had a hunch they were not to thank for his recovery. Plus if one of them was behind it, they would let it be known to gain political clout or something of the sort, yet none stepped forward. No, he was dealing with a complete unknown here.

He wanted to ask the Hokage if he heard of anyone with such a description, but every time he thought of asking it occurred to him just how ridiculous the notion truly was. Saying that he got stabbed and then an unknown person appeared out of thin air, brought him back from the brink of death and then vanished without a trace, all within a few short moments?

Already he got more than a few disbelieving looks from the village leader when he said he had no idea how he was perfectly fine when his clothing clearly indicated severe injuries. When they later brought in a Yamanaka psychiatrist that asked more or less the same, just in a different manner, it was obvious which way the wind was blowing.

No, all things considered, it was better to keep this close to the chest, at least until he knew more about everything that transpired. So he told them all that he knew, leaving only the part about his unidentified benefactor aside. Even if they suspected him of withholding information, they had no way to prove it anyway. Thus the more pressing question became what should he do next.

There had to be answers as to what happened, he was sure of it. But as things were, he had neither the knowledge to know where to even begin searching, nor the power required to do anything about it. He already knew the basics and the Shinobi academy started in just a few days, so that left one less worry out of the way. Given his pedigree he was already expected to attend anyway, so why not use the opportunity? Whatever advantage there could be found he´d take it, for he never wanted to experience that sense of hopelessness ever again.

And yet, as he kept trying to wrack his brain for something, anything that could help him achieve his goal, a lingering doubt kept clawing at his confidence. It was a very simple yet poignant question, one to which he always seemed to arrive at the end of every possibility:

Would it be enough?

If he pursued this road in search for truth and assuming he would find those responsible for it all, it would no doubt mean crossing blades with the very same people that managed to outmaneuver an entire ninja village and defeat the one person he admired the most in the whole world. The clan library, the concentrated knowledge of his bloodline, was currently closed off for him. What else was there? Where might one acquire the tools needed to finish such a quest?

Naruto did not know the answer to that question yet, but it was obvious he needed to find something that would give him an edge in the world outside. If both his mother and father were the pinnacle of power in the world as it was right now, then he´d need to move beyond that, no matter the consequences.

 _´But can I really accomplish something like that´_ wondered the blond as he looked at the star-lit night sky.

Although he never had a chance to meet his father, the same could not be said about the man´s reputation. Even if the fact that the Yondaime was his other parent was not a widely known fact yet, it did not change the fact that the late Hokage cast quite a shadow over him just by virtue of being his progenitor. And of course there was mother, the one person who for all intents and purposes he always wanted to overcome in order to make her proud and acknowledge him, not just as a son, but as a fellow Shinobi.

Now, looking at the two of them from this perspective, it felt like staring up a pair of tall mountains whose peaks reached the very heavens themselves. To say that it felt intimidating would be an understatement. How could one person ever hope to live up to such a legacy, to say nothing of exceeding it?

And yet, despite the anxiety, there was also a newfound sense of purpose now set in his heart. He knew what had to be done and instead of staring up the mountains, he could at least make a first small step towards them. It was with that final thought that the blond finally fell asleep, somehow managing to find rest despite all the recent events. The ascent was only just beginning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **And there goes the first chapter. So to reiterate, Naruto does not have the Kyuubi (nor is it split in half like a baked potato), the whole Hyuuga subplot was handled much differently and given his upbringing and motivations Naruto will behave differently when compared to his canon counterpart (probably obvious, but I just know that someone might bring up the OOC complaint anyway, so consider this a warning note). With that in mind, it has been quite a while since I last wrote anything, but I hope you will find this entertaining nonetheless. Till next time.**


End file.
